Made a Lily - Step Four...and something more!

Step Four - Shape the Base

Hope you have your stuffing ready because it's time to give that lily pad some shape. Whether you decided to go with the polyester fiberfil like I use or an alternate of your choice, start putting it in!

Use a stick or wooden spoon handle to make sure the far side beyond the eyelet gets firmly stuffed. Your probably going to be surprised at how much stuffing it's going to take to fill this thing up. Sometimes the process seems endless!

As you progress the lily pad is going to take on the appearance of a donut. The goal is to get it beyond that soft honey dipped variety and instead make it the heavier cake type that tastes so good with a hot cup of coffee. If your at that point it's time to thread up a needle and stitch the base up tight.

Insert the needle 1/2 inch away from where the opening begins to secure the knot in place.

Pull the needle back through to the opening and begin picking up tiny sections of fabric along the bottom. . . . .

. . . . . . and top edges.

As the seam begins to close often times it starts to "sink" in upon itself.

This is easily remedied with. . . . . .

. . . . .more stuffing!!!

The only trick is your going to need something tiny to help you get it in there. I use a cuticle stick but a pencil works just as well.

Several of these mini stuffing sessions may be required along the way but it should fill out nicely if you do so.

Once the opening has been stitched closed, wrap the thread around the needle several times to knot it off. I then make one final stitch into the seam before clipping it free.

Remember those skeins of embroidery floss collected several weeks ago? Dig them out again! It's finally time to tie the lily pad into it's petal shapes and we need the floss to do it.

Pick a color. To measure out the length needed wrap the floss around the lily pad at least 12 times before clipping it. This will give enough length to double thread the needle and knot the loose ends together.

From the bottom side of the lily pad insert the needle along the inside edge of the eyelet.

Pull it through to the top side. Making sure the threads don't twist pull them up and around to the back again.

Insert the needle alongside the knot where the first stitch was taken.

After the thread is pulled through it will look like this but. . . . .

. . . . . in order to get the petal shapes it's going to need to be pulled fairly tightly so put a little muscle in it and make that indent!

If we were to say this first floss loop around was made at the 12 o'clock position, the process should then be repeated at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock as well.

Four petals down, four to go.

Continue around the cushion again dividing each of the petals into two.

To finish off make a knot in the thread but do not clip it close to the base. Rather clip up near the needle leaving the thread tails to hang loose.

Next week we'll add the faux yo-yo so your only going to need to make a selection from your fabric stash on hand.

And what about my project for today?

I've a special little Lily due next week. She's to be made in the sweetest combination of yellow, pink, blue, and red. This happy little cape was made for her!